Close Your Eyes
by Stunna13
Summary: Three brothers, taken in by ThunderClan in hopes of making them strong and loyal warriors. Only things aren't always as they seem and it might be too late before ThunderClan realizes they should have left them to die.
1. 000

**Prologue**

The sky was dark and angry, lightening cracking overhead every few minutes as clouds rolled around each other, just above the tree tops. A hazy mist was spread out throughout the forest, making it nearly impossible to see.

"Do we really have to do patrol now?" Toadstep grumbled as he, Leafpool, Lionblaze and Seedpaw made their way through the forest. Ever since Toadsteps mate, Ivypool, had lost their kits during the kitting, Toadstep was lashing out at others and never wanted to do anything.

"Toadstep, you know why we have to do this." Lionblaze sighed and shook his head. "Bramblestar wants to make sure the-"

"Borders are secure in case WindClan decides to attack again." Seedpaw finished, "You've said it at least a million times, Lionblaze. We know."

Lionblaze huffed and picked up the pace as he stomped through the brambles. Looks like he'll be picking those out of his thick, ginger fur when he gets back to camp. Suddenly, he stopped. "Wait."

"Can't we just-" Toadstep was cut off.

"No, listen." Lionblaze snapped and perked his ears, listening closely, though the constant sound of thunder made it hard to hear anything. But underneath the rumbling sky, the rustling of the trees and the few drops of rain hitting the forest floor, there was the unmistakeable sound of kits crying.

Leafpool and Lionblaze shot off at once, in the direction of the kits. The rest of the patrol hadn't heard what they had and watched for a moment before pelting after their Clanmates.

Toadstep and Seedpaw found Lionblaze and Leafpool a moment later, leaning into the brambles, staring at something. Toadstep rolled his eyes angrily before peering over the heap of brambles and gasping. "Kits!"

The kits-all toms-lay huddled in a pile under the safety of the brambles. They couldn't have been over a few days old and their eyes were still shut. The biggest of the three, a black tom with fluffy fur, was mewling pitifully as he rolled around in the brambles. Toadstep couldn't tell if he was awake and scared or just having a nightmare.

"They don't smell like WindClan." Leafpool muttered, "They don't smell like any Clan for that matter."

"Loners? Can you smell their mother?" Seedpaw asked curiously.

"No...it's like they were just dropped here. I can't scent anything." Leafpool frowned. "We have to take them back. They'll die if they stay out here any longer."

"But what if it really is WindClan and they blame us for stealing their kits? We'll start a war!" Lionblaze reasoned.

"Dovewing could try scenting them? And if WindClan ask for them then we'll explain what happened." Seedpaw answered. She was far more mature than the other apprentices, even for her young age.

"I'll take them." Toadstep announced and everyone's heads whipped to him. "Ivypool has milk and I'll love them like they were my own. I'm sure Bramblestar would agree."

There was a moment of silence before Lionblaze nodded, "Okay."

Getting back to ThunderClan was a blur. The patrol had to fish the kits out of the brambles and Seedpaw was sent to race back to ThunderClan to tell Bramblestar what happened. When the patrol finally reached camp, everyone was already crowded around the entrance.

"Seedpaw told me what happened, bring them to the nursery!" Bramblestar ordered and Lionblaze, Leafpool and Toadstep padded to the nursery, carefully setting the three brothers on the moss bedding, next to Ivypool who was staring at them lovingly.

"They're perfect." Ivypool whispered and nudged the runt of the litter-a small, black, grey and white kit-closer to her belly. "Bramblestar, please let me keep them! We don't have to tell them who they really are, please!"

Bramblestar stared down at the grey she-cat. Her eyes were wide with sadness and love. "I never said you couldn't."

Ivypool let out a sigh of relief as she wrapped her tail around her three sons. Toadstep collapsed next to her and the cats crowding in the small den all nodded at the new parents before leaving to give them some privacy while Bramblestar made the announcement.

"What should we name them?" Toadstep whispered as his tail stroked over his new sons.

Ivypool studied the toms. They were all different sizes and colours and there were so many possibilities of what to name them. The smallest was black, grey and white-his back being black and then slowly as it moved down his body to his feet, turning grey in the middle and white at his feet.

"When I was a kit, Purdy told me stories about how he ran into wolves." Ivypool started and Toadstep looked confused. "They're these giant dogs, stronger and more powerful than any regular dog. The way he described them, their marking were similar to his."

"Wolfkit?" Toadstep asked and Ivypool nodded. "The strong name will give him strength. Even if he is the runt."

Ivypool purred as her gaze flicked to the next kit, "What about him?"

The next kit was bigger than Wolfkit, but smaller than the biggest. He was thin with smokey grey fur and long legs, especially for a kit. "Shred."

Ivypool purred, "Perfect. And him?"

The last kit was pure black with long fur and a ridiculously long tail. He was the biggest and it was easy to tell that he would be an excellent fighter when he was older. "How about Longkit?"

Toadstep shook his head, "I don't want him to be compared to Longtail everywhere he goes. He needs something different.. Scorchkit."

Ivypool broke out into a grin. "Scorchkit, Shredkit and Wolfkit."

"They're amazing." Toadstep breathed, "They're _ours_."

"Ours."

**A little boring for the first chapter but I had to show you where they were originally from. It may come up again later.**

**Anyway, I have big plans for this story and please don't be a silent reader! Review!**


	2. 001

**Scorchkit**

"Wake up, Scorchkit!" My eyes shot open to the feeling of someone pouncing on my tail. I let out a short yelp before bolting up and turning to the offender. It was only Wolfkit. Even though he was much smaller than me, he still thought he could boss me around.

"What?" I grumbled, wrapping my long tail around my paws and glaring at my brother. Shredkit stood innocently behind him as they both stared at me with their wide blue eyes.

"Ivypool says we're finally allowed to leave the Nursery!" Wolfkit squeaked bouncing up and down as his unsheathed paws tore up the moss. Ivypool was always scolding him for leaving his claws out and always being a little too violent when playing with us. "Hurry up, Scorchkit! I want to go adven-adventarue-ad...ad.."

"Adventure?" I offered and my brother nodded wildly.

"Yeah, that! Now come on!" Wolfkit screeched and whipped around, racing for the Nursery entrance.

Shredkit and I chased after him, soon catching up to him and bowling him over just as we exited the Nursery. But I was too in awe to continue playing. I was too busy staring at the enormous camp around me.

Walls loomed over the ThunderClan camp and cats bigger than even Toadstep and Ivypool, lay scattered around. Their attention seemed to turn to us the second we stumbled out of camp, but like with my brother, I couldn't bother to pay attention to them.

"Wow.." I gasped, taking in everything. "I can't believe we live here."

"Let's go advent..advure... Let's look around!" Wolfkit grinned and raced off again. I shared a look with Shredkit before we trotted after him. He was sticking his head in another den.

"Do you ever just keep to yourself?" Shredkit asked quietly. Out of the three of us, he was by far the shyest. Wolfkit was more outgoing and I was somewhere in the middle, not being as nosy as Wolfkit but I actually talked, unlike Shredkit.

"Don't you want to go on an adven-"

"Don't even try." I rolled my eyes and Wolfkit shot me a playful glare.

"Come on, let's just look around!" Wolfkit squeaked and trotted into the den, not bothering to even check what the den really was. Shredkit sighed and followed him and I padded in soon after.

The den was dim and smelled of all types of herbs and slightly of the forest. It was the Medicine Cat den. Wolfkit had already busied himself in rummaging through the different herbs while Smolderkit stood by his side, looking nervously around.

"I don't think we should be in here, guys." Shredkit spluttered but Wolfkit didn't even consider leaving.

"Don't worry about it, Shredkit. Nothing is going to- ooh, look at these!" Wolfkit had pulled out a bundle of dark red berries. "These look yummy, let's try one!"

I stared at him as if he had too heads. "Do you have bees in your brain? They're probably poisonous."

"Why would the cat who heals other keep-"

"What are you doing in here?!" We all whipped around to face an angry looking tom.

Fear coursed through my body at the sight of him. His fur was light grey and his blue eyes looked furious but that wasn't what had me frozen in place. It was the jagged cuts scattered over his body, blood dripping from them and pooling at his feet that terrified me.

"W-we're sorry!" Shredkit stuttered, "We didn't mean to do anything!"

"Well you did, now get out of my den!" The tom snarled and took a step forward, causing me to take a step back. It was like he didn't even feel all the cuts or the fact that one of his ears was shredded to the point of him not even being able to hear.

"Scorchkit, come on!" I looked over to Wolfkit to see he was already at the exit with Shredkit, ready to leave. The angry cat growled when he saw I was still standing there. He took a few steps forward.

"Kit, I said-"

"Get away from me!" I snarled and with lightening speed, my unsheathed claws flashed out and scratched his chest.

The tom leapt back, surprised but it didn't seem to hurt. "What is wrong with you?"

The cat tried taking another step forward but I hissed, scurrying back. He was evil! He had to be! There was no way he couldn't be evil and living with those wounds. "Don't touch me, freak!" I spat.

"Dewpaw, what is going on here?" Toadstep roared as he appeared at the entrance with Shredkit and Wolfkit close behind. Didn't he see it?

"Your son scratched me and called me a freak!" Dewpaw screeched.

"Is that true, Scorchkit?" Toadstep asked me sternly but I didn't take my eyes off Dewpaw.

"Don't you see it, Toadstep? He's evil! Don't you see all the blood?" I snarled. "Don't you?"

"Scorchkit, I don't know what you're talking about!" Toadstep sighed, "Now stop playing games and get over here, this instant."

I glanced at my father, taking in his stern look. He really didn't believe me. He didn't believe that Dewpaw was evil. I shot one last glare at Dewpaw before pressing my body as close to the cave wall-or as far as I could get from him-and quickly slunk to my father.

"Scorchpaw, I don't know what's gotten into you, but you need to stop. Dewpaw is Jayfeathers apprentice and you can't go around calling him evil." Toadstep growled as he stormed away from the den, me and my brothers close behind.

"But he is!" I stressed.

I felt Shredkit lightly nudge me from the side. "I believe you."

"Me too." Wolfkit added and Toadstep sighed in frustration.

We reached the Nursery and Toadstep waited for us to walk in before following us. "We can deal with you tomorrow, after I tell Ivypool what you kits were up to. For now, just go to sleep. I don't want to hear one more word about Dewpaw being evil."

"But-"

I was silenced by a threatening glare from my father.

With an angry huff, I stomped to the far side of the Nursery and collapsed in a ball. Millie-who was severely swollen with kits-watched us in amusement as we all curled up together.

I didn't say another word, I simply squeezed my eyes shut and waited for sleep to take me.

* * *

When I opened my eyes I was in the forest. I was bigger than the kit size I was used to and instead of looking down and seeing my regular black paws, I had light grey fur. There were three tiny claw marks on my chest.

I was Dewpaw?

But I couldn't control my body. It was like I was walking but someone else was controlling how I moved. Or how Dewpaw moved, I guess.

The trees started thinning out, and soon enough, I was standing on a grassy field. The uncomfortable wind was ruffling my fur but I continued on, taking random turns until I was far away from the ThunderClan forest and standing in front of a small patch of herbs.

_Catmint_.

I started picking at the catmint, pulling it up from the roots and gathering as much as I could carry in my mouth. When I finally couldn't carry more, I turned to leave only to be greeted by two blue eyes.

"What do you think you're doing?" the cat-a pale grey she-cat-sneered as she and her patrol started circling me. "And on WindClan territory? Tsk, tsk, tsk."

"I'm sorry. ThunderClan needs catmint!" I pleaded in a voice that wasn't mine. "Purdy has greencough and-"

"Do I look like someone who cares about _Purdy_?" the cat snarled and shook her head. "No, but I do care about setting examples. And that's what I'm going to do with you."

She lunged at me, bowling me over as her hind legs clawed down my stomach, opening fresh wounds on my belly. I shrieked in pain, but instead of the cat jumping off, more of her patrol joined in.

Blow after blow was aimed at me, each one of them leaving deep marks in my flesh and leaving me in agony. Finally, after what seemed like hours, they finally stopped.

The grey she-cat turned to me with a smirk plastered on her face. "Now go run along to ThunderClan and see what they make of you."

ThunderClan.

Need to get back to ThunderClan..

* * *

"Scorchkit! Get up!" Wolfkit nudged me awake, "something is happening!"

I leapt to my feet, still feeling where I had been attacked, even if it was just in a dream. Pushing back the memories, I chased after my brothers as they raced out of the Nursery and into the camp where everyone was crowded around something.

I slunk though warriors legs and squeezed through tight gaps until I was in the middle of the group and staring down at Dewpaws dead, shredded body. Toadstep stood next to me and I slowly looked up at him.

"Do you see the blood now?"

**Some of you may have noticed that I changed Smolderkits name to Shredkit. I just thought Shredkit was a waaay cooler name than Smolderkit. Anyway, review your opinion!**


	3. 002

**Shredkit**

I was padding through a dark forest, the leaves crunching underneath my paws and the sweet scent of herbs and flowers wafting into my nose. Light from the enormous yellow moon shone down, lighting the forest in fantastic colours.

"Shredkit," I turned around to see a cat. He was a tom, completely white except for his black ear tips. His eyes though, are what sent me backing away, my fur bristled and my claws unsheathed.

His eyes were completely black and even standing a few fox lengths away, I could see my reflection in them.

Not to mention the fact that he was huge, almost twice the size of a regular sized warrior with muscles rippling under his skin and claws that were showing even when they were sheathed.

"Don't be afraid, Shredkit," he spoke in a deep, husky voice, "I am your friend."

"I don't know you!" I spat, backing into a tree. I whipped around to try and climb it but my short legs couldn't pull me up. "Leave me alone."

"Shredkit, I know you're scared," mystery cat soothed, "but I would never want to hurt you! Under my harsh exterior, I really only want a friend. Just like you."

I paused and slowly looked back to see he had taken a few paces forward, "What?"

"You're shy, Shredkit." he stated, "You can only talk to your brothers and your parents but they won't always be around. Wolfkit won't be there to stand up for you and Scorchkit won't be around to fight for you. You'll be alone."

"Ivypool and Toadstep-"

"Do you honestly think they'll love you after what Scorchkit did? He terrified them, Shredkit!"

I paused, he was right about that. After Scorchkit had made his 'do you see it now' comment, Toadstep had stormed over to Ivypool and they started arguing. They screamed at us to get back in the Nursery but Scorchkit didn't want to. He said he wanted to explore more.

Usually Toadstep would pick Scorchkit up but this time, he just let his son roam. It was like he was almost scared to touch him.

"They aren't going to treat you the same. You'll be outcasted, deserted in your time o need. I'm all you really have, Shredkit, and I'm never going to leave you."

"What's your name?" I asked, walking closer to him. He was still scary, but he didn't look like he wanted to hurt me.

"I have a long, complicated name, but for now, you can just call me Vee."

"Vee..."

* * *

I woke up to see Ivypool and Toadstep having a hushed argument in the opposite corner of the nursery. Scorchkit was already awake and watching them but Wolfkit was happily sleeping, his paws twitching like he was running in his dream.

"This is all your fault." I snarled, remembering Vee's words. Because of him, I was going to be alone. I was going to have nobody. "If you'd just kept your mouth shut, we wouldn't have to listen to that."

Scorchkit flinched, "Shredkit, I didn't mean to do anything. I just told him what I saw."

"And what?" I snapped, "what did you honestly think was going to happen? Did you think you'd be in some prophecy? Did you think you'd be a _hero_? Well, you aren't. You're just ruining everything!"

Scorchkit stared at me with a shocked face but I merely huffed and turned away. I stormed over to where Millie was and was about to lay down and sleep with Millie when's Vee's voice echoe in my head.

_You'll be outcasted, deserted in your time of need._

I whipped around to see Scorchkit was watching me and I stomped over to an empty pile of miss and curled up in it. Scorchkit was ruining everything.

I didn't fall asleep after that. I just lay there, boiling in my own fury. My tail lashed every few minutes as I glared at my brother.

Brother! Ha! Brothers don't do what he did. Vee said that he practically ruined my future. And what Vee says must be true because he's in StarClan!

...or at least I think he is.

But it doesn't even matter because what Scorchkit did is inexcusable!

Wolfkit woke up and glanced at me, laying by my lonesome, then at our arguing parents and finally at Scorchkit. "I just had the strangest dream..." he mumbled, not fully taking in the tense atmosphere, "I was a wolf pup without a family-"

"Nobody cares, Wolfkit." Scorchkit snapped and I could see me smaller brothes face fall. He stared at Scorchkit for a secon before glancing at me and this time, realizing how furious I looked.

Finally, Wolfkit stood up and padded sadly away from us and dropped on the ground, wrapping his fluffy tail around his body and curling up into a ball. We were being torn apart...

We didn't talk for the rest of the night and I didn't sleep either. No matter how hard I tried, I simply could not drift off again like before. Scorchkit seemed to though, and even Wolfkit did for a little bit before waking up again.

Toadstep and Ivypool finally stopped arguing and our mother curled up in the farthest corner, away from us while Toadstep went to sleep in the Warriors Den. He usually stayed with us until we were asleep.

The night passed and by dawn, I was sick of trying to fall asleep so I finally just stood and walked out of the Nursery. It wasn't like anyone cared anyway.

The sun was appearing just over the treetops and the dawn patrol was getting ready to leave. Four cats I didn't recognize were standing by Dewpaws motionless body. Two of them looked almost identical to Dewpaw but the other two - a she-cat and a tom - looked old enough to be his parents.

"Shredkit?" I turned to see Ivypool standing there. "Get back inside, your father and I decided that you and your brothers aren't to leave the nursery unless we say so."

I gaped at her, "B-but-"

"We don't want any more incidents."

I could see a sliver of sympathy behind her stern eyes but I knew her decision was final.

Once again, Scorchkit was ruining it for everyone.

**Ooh, mystery cat making Shredkit hate his brother! Anyway, review and tell me your honest opinion!**

**Also, Pokemon X & Y is coming out soon and I'm not sure which to buy. Hmm...Which do you think I should get? **


	4. 003

** Wolfkit**

I woke up from another one of my strange dreams and sat up, looking around. Shredkit was no where in the nursery and Scorchkit was sulking in the corner. They had been like this for a moon.

Ever since they got in this spat while I was sleeping, Scorchkit and Shredkit hadn't said more than two words to each other. Shredkit was furious at our brother for some reason and would snap at everyone whenever they tried speaking to him. And that was rare for someone who rarely spoke.

Scorchkit kept to himself mostly, staying in the corner of the nursery and when Ivypool forced him outside, would find the most secluded spot in camp and stay there for the day. When I asked, he told me that he couldn't deal with making anyone else die.

As for Toadstep and Ivypool, for the most part, they were fine. At first, they were cautious around Scorchkit but they got over their fear and loved him like a parent should. They seemed to fall apart a little more every time one of us would ignore them or snap at them, but anyone would.

"Scorchkit, will you please make up with Shredkit so we can play? Millie's kits are so boring!" I called in a low voice, making sure not to wake the five bundles who were curled up next to Millie's stomach.

The kits were born about a quarter moon ago, surprising everyone because ThunderClan hadn't seen such a big litter in a long time apparently.

"Trust me, I've tried." Scorchkit muttered and turned away. I waited for him to say something else but he remained silent.

"Bitterkit." I hissed under my breath and stomped closer to Millie's kits. They were all pretty small and Millie always got angry at me when I was too rough with them. It's too bad for her that I never listened.

I swatted the nearest kit, Patchkit, lightly on the back and she jerked up. Patchkits mouth was open as if she was about to yelp but I quickly rested my tail across the gray and white she-cat to quiet her.

"I want to play moss ball but my brothers are still fighting." I explained and Patchkit nodded with a bright gleam in her eyes.

"I'll wake up Rushkit and Cobrakit." Patchkit replied.

Rushkit, Cobrakit and Patchkit were clearly best friends. The entire litter was close, but I couldn't help but notice how Pouncekit and Splashkit were always left out. Even though I knew this, I didn't say anything.

Within a few moments, three younger kits were standing in front of me, looking eager to play. Whenever one of the older kits-meaning me, because my brothers were too angry all the time to so much as talk to them-the kits always seemed overjoyed and eager, though they tried to hide it.

I hooked my claws around a clump of moss from Millie's bedding and padded out of the nursery. Truthfully, Cobrakit and Patchkit were pretty terrible at moss ball but Rushkit wasn't too bad.

I flung the moss ball at Cobrakit immediately and he flinched back, letting it sail over the ground and land in a pile of dirt. Patchkit raced to the moss and whacked it to the side, making it only going about a mouse-length before it lay motionless on the ground.

I sighed, this would be a lot more fun if they weren't so horrible. I glanced over to the medicine cat den to see a thin cat lurking in the shadows. My ears perked up as I padded towards the shadow.

"Shredkit, come play with us!" I insisted, "Winning isn't as fun when they aren't even playing."

Shredkit looked past me to the three kits. Rushkit now had the moss and was batting it up in the air, not letting his siblings get to it. Shredkits ears perked up and he looked like he wanted to join but just as he looked like he was about to agree, he shrunk back and shook his head.

"Stop acting like this!" I snapped suddenly and my brother flinched back, "you drive everyone away and it's like anytime someone tries to include you, there's this stupid voice in your head telling you not to do anything!"

Shredkit looked hurt and shocked but I wasn't done yet.

"You're a loner, Shredkit. If you don't start trying then you'll be alone forever."

All of the sudden, Shredkit lunged at me with a furious look on his face. "You don't know anything about me!"

My eyes widened and I scrambled to kick him off of me. That wasn't his voice. It was like a mix of his voice and a much older cat. I had never heard anything like it, and the underlying hate of his tone was enough to send me running.

I finally managed to wiggle free of his grip and the second I did, I was shot away from my brother and towards the Clan entrance. The last thing I heard before I was out of camp was Shredkit laughing.

"It makes me sad having someone so pathetic as my kin." he chuckled.

I didn't fully comprehend the words until I was well out of ThunderClan camp. I wasn't sure where I was exactly, everything looked the same to me, but I was exhausted and scared.

Dark trees towered over me, blocking out the sun and sending chills down my body. There seemed to be rustling in every bush, containing a violent creature, ready to jump out at any second and claw me to shreds.

But a new feeling erupted over my tiredness and pounding heart, bubbling over my emotions like water over the rocks at the bottom of the lake. My claws shot out and my eyes darkened as my gasping soon turned to pants of rage.

My own _brother_ had humiliated me, sent me running with my tail in between my legs and everyone watching as I ran out of camp. He had defeated me in battle without even unsheathing his claws or placing a blow.

At that moment, something finally snapped in my mind. I would do whatever it took to show him that I'm not the pathetic kit I showed him, moments ago. I would defeat him and then he'd see who the pathetic one was.

Shredkit was dead to me.

**Oh my gosh, thank you so much for the help in the reviews! Please give me constructive criticism because I really want to improve as a writer! Anyway, how did you enjoy this chapter? Review!**


	5. 004

**Scorchkit**

I watched through the brambles of the nursery, as Wolfkit raced away from Shredkit and out of ThunderClan. Shredkit had a triumphant look gleaming in his eyes as he wrapped his tail around his paws and turned his head away. I growled under my breath in disgust as I exited nursery.

I was about to chase after my brother when I felt myself being lifted off the ground and carried away from the camp entrance. I twisted around to see that it was Toadsteps black and white fur.

"What are you doing? I need to go look for Wolfkit?" I snarled and tried my best to wriggle away, but it was no use. I was only about three moons old and against a fully grown, fully trained warrior, I was nothing.

"There are other warriors that will find him, Scorchkit. What I need you to do is stay in camp and be on your best behaviour." Toadstep ordered through my fur. He set me down gently near the warriors den, just as Bramblestar called a Clan meeting.

"Let all those old enough to catch their own prey, gather under High Ledge for a Clan meeting." Everyone was already waiting for the meeting to start. "As most of you know, Wolfkit got upset and ran out of camp earlier. I sent Squirrelflight to try and chase him down, but I'll give it to the kit; he's fast."

"This isn't the first time a kit has run away but we still need to bring him home safely. So I'm setting up patrols to go search for him. Spiderleg, Amberpaw and Dovewing, search near the ShadowClan border. I want Graystripe, Blossomfall and Thornclaw looking near the WindClan border. With the tension between WindClan these past few moons, we don't know what will happen if Wolfkit strays out of ThunderClan."

"Lionblaze, Dovewing and Seedpaw, I want you searching through the middle of our territory." Bramblestar finished before leaping off the ledge and ending the meeting.

Immediately, the patrols grouped and were sent running. I was about to go ask Bramblestar if I could search for my brother as well but a putrid smell hit my nose, making me gag.

If was almost sickenly sweet to a point where I could taste it. It was like nothing I had ever smelt before and it had the underlying scent of death, and that was something I was familiar with.

I choked and buried my nose in my paws, trying to block out the smell but it didn't work. I scanned the camp, trying to find the origin of the smell and my eyes landed on Rosepatal, my fathers sister.

Her usual cream coloured fur was almost all gone and the flesh underneath was black and crusty. Some patches were red but for the most part she was completely black.

Horror shot through my body and I took a few steps back. _It's happening again! It can't happen again_! My thoughts screamed as I stumbled back. I whirled around to try to run but ran straight into another cat.

Splashkit.

Like Rosepetal, she reeked of the unfamiliar smell and stumbled back, gagging at the stench. Half of her head was practically caved in and one of her front paws was dangling at an unhealthy angle. Not to mention, she also had the black appearance of Rosepetal.

"Scorchkit, are you okay?" Splashkit questioned but instead of answering, I whirled around, my eyes shooting to each indivual cat in horror.

Molepaw, Briarlight, Bramblestar, Leafpool and Birchfall all looked nearly exactly the same and emitting the same nauseating smell._ Oh StarClan, what was happening?_

"Do you smell that?" I heard Jayfeather question and I whipped around to see him standing just outside his den. He could smell it too?

"I don't smell anything." Briarlight, who was chewing a shrew beside him shook her head. Without another thought, I raced towards the medicine cat and nearly bowled him over.

"You can smell it? Can you smell the death?" I shrieked, "can you?"

Everyone in the Clan seemed to turn to look at me at my little outburst. Jayfeather looked confused and slowly shook his head. "I thought I smelled smoke, Scorchkit. Twolegs could just be doing one of their strange fire rituals-"

"You can't smell the death?" I whispered. Why me? Why was I the only one who could smell it?

"Wait, Scorchkit, who's going to die?" Briarlight gasped and I turned to look at her. Her blackened body, as if the darkness had overcome her.

"You."

And then suddenly it was like the sun had reached down and took ahold of camp. Flames danced around the camp, jumping from tree to tree and stretching across the sky. Screams echoed through the camp louder than the sound of the fire cracking.

"Fire!" Somebody screamed, "Get out of camp!"

I stood frozen in place as the scene unfolded around me. Patchkit, Cobrakit, and Rushkit immediately bolted to the camp entrance, safely making it out just before Millie burst out of the nursery with Pouncekit in her jaws.

Her eyes shot out to Splashkit who, like me, was frozen in place. There was a loud crack before a flaming tree fell from the forest and over the camp wall. The tree crushed Splashkit on impact and started rolling to the nursery.

Millie dropped Pouncekit in fear and seconds later, Rosepetal grabbed the kit by the scruff and started racing to the exit, along with Millie. But the cream coloured she-cat didn't make it far before tripping over a flaming branch and rolling over, Pouncekit tumbling out of her grasp.

"Scorchkit, get in the den!" Briarlight screamed, bringing me out of my trance. With a jolt, I tumbled towards the medicine den and inside the safety of the cave where Jayfeather already was.

I turned to see if Briarlight had made it inside as well but just as I did, a huge boulder crashed to the ground in front of the den, cutting off Briarlights access to the safety of the cave.

I stared in shock as Jayfeather yanked me back and we both fell into a pile of bedding. The only sound that could be heard was the bloodcurdling screams of our Clanmates dying and the destruction that the roaring fire was causing.

We stayed like that for what seemed like lifetimes before the orange glow flickering from outside died down. We didn't say anything as we pushed at the boulder just enough that we could wiggle out of the den.

The outcome of the fire was disastrous. Trees and boulders had crashed down onto the camp and along with the nauseating smell I had experienced before, there was also an overwhelming smell of smoke.

Briarlights body lay just outside the den, her eyes open in terror and she looked exactly the same as I had seen her just before she died. But now I knew what had happened.

She had burnt to death. Along with the seven other cats I had seen before.

I knew they would end up like this and I let it happen. I was a murderer.

**I got a beta reader! I hope you enjoyed and don't forget to review!**


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